12 Vaccines Your Child Needs

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A parent's guide to childhood vaccinations

By Lisa Zamosky

Children get as many as 25 shots and boosters in the first 15 months of life alone. When you combine the sheer number of vaccines with an alphabet-soup-like jumble of acronyms it’s hard to keep track of what a youngster is getting—and why.

Here’s a rundown of 12 vaccines that help protect against potentially life-threatening germs.
Most are required for school attendance, while some are not. (Legal requirements can vary from state to state.)